The present invention relates to structures for conducting fluid flow past a bulkhead separating compartments in an aircraft, such as in the de-icing (or anti-icing) system of an aircraft engine inlet cowl or the like.
In certain types of conventional aircraft structures defining systems for preventing or removing ice accumulation from external surfaces of the aircraft, air heated by the engine(s) is directed against and along inner surfaces of the aircraft structure to be de-iced. Bulkhead structures separating compartments within the aircraft often interfere with smooth flow of heated air along the interior of surfaces to be de-iced. For example, in the housing structure of an engine inlet cowl in which the invention described herein is particularly applicable, heated air is directed against the inner surface of the leading edge, is conducted rearwardly along the inner surface of the cowling and through openings in the bulkhead separating the engine inlet cowl from the engine compartment, and is thereafter exhausted. In conventional structures, openings in the bulkhead for facilitating flow of air consist of drilled holes, cut-away slots or machined grooves, and procedures for fabricating these bulkheads reguire careful and time-consuming dressing of the edges of the holes to avoid crack formation and possible consequent structural failure of the airframe.
The invention solves or reduces in critical importance the problems in conventional aircraft structure as just defined by providing an edge attachment structure for joining a bulkhead or like structure to the walls defining the compartments separated by the bulkhead structure. Two flanged sheet metal members joined mechanically or by bonding provide attachment flanges for joining the bulkhead and compartment walls, one flanged member being formed with corrugations which when joined to the other flanged member form a plurality of smooth conduits through the periphery of the bulkhead at the compartment walls for promoting air flow between compartments along the walls.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide structure for facilitating flow of a fluid along a surface.
It is another object of the invention to provide novel structure for facilitating air flow in a de-icing system for aircraft.
It is another object of the invention to provide improved structure for de-icing the inlet cowl of an engine.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a novel de-icing system for the inlet cowl of an aircraft engine utilizing air heated by the engine.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description of representative embodiments proceeds.